Barrick Gold’s tailings dam can’t imperil environment

Santo Domingo.- Energy and Mines Minister, Antonio Almonte, affirmed Sunday that the approval of the tailings dam requested by the miner Barrick Gold is subject to an environmental impact study that determines that it won’t put the ecosystem, the environment and the area population at risk.

He rebuffed the report that the approval to build the tailings dam, required by the mining company, is subject to tax payments to Barrick in advance.

Almonte said the advance tax payment was the result of an effort by the Government’s economic team, led by the Finance Ministry, but “in no way linked to negotiations for the approval or not of a certain project.”

He added that Energy and Mines assumes that the construction of the dam is a necessity for the miner.

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